Two medicines, side by side
Posaconazole vs fluconazole
Posaconazole and fluconazole are both labeled for fungal infections. Drugs@FDA records approvals of posaconazole since 2006 and of fluconazole since 1990. Pharmacies paid $2.03 per posaconazole DR 100 mg tablet and $0.380 per fluconazole 200 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like.
Check it at the source: the posaconazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 3, 2026); the fluconazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 7, 2026).
Highlights of the posaconazole record
Posaconazole (Noxafil) · label of August 3, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsPosaconazole is an azole antifungal indicated as follows: Posaconazole delayed-release tablets are indicated for the prophylaxis of invasive Aspergillus and Candida infections in patients who are at high risk of developing these infections due to being severely immunocompromised, such as hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or those with hematologic malignancies […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 15, 2006
- Generic labelers
- 27 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $2.03 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 2
Highlights of the fluconazole record
Fluconazole (Diflucan) · label of April 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsFluconazole tablets are indicated for the treatment of: Vaginal candidiasis (vaginal yeast infections due to Candida ). Oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- January 29, 1990
- Generic labelers
- 41 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.380 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 18
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Posaconazole label of August 3, 2026, Fluconazole label of April 7, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do posaconazole and fluconazole differ on the record?
Both are in FDA's class azole antifungals.
Half-life, in each label's words: Posaconazole, “Posaconazole delayed-release tablet is eliminated with a mean half-life (t ½ ) ranging between 26 to 31 hours.”; Fluconazole, “Peak plasma concentrations (C max ) in fasted normal volunteers occur between 1 and 2 hours with a terminal plasma …”
Generics: posaconazole since 2019; fluconazole since 2004 (Drugs@FDA).
| Posaconazole | Fluconazole | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Fungal infections | Fungal infections, Urinary tract infections |
| Pharmacologic class | Azole Antifungal | Azole Antifungal |
| How it works (label) | Posaconazole is an azole antifungal agent [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.4) ]. | n/a |
| Half-life (label) | Posaconazole delayed-release tablet is eliminated with a mean half-life (t ½ ) ranging between 26 to 31 hours. | Peak plasma concentrations (C max ) in fasted normal volunteers occur between 1 and 2 hours with a terminal plasma elimination half-life of approximately 30 hours (range: 20 to 50 hours) after oral administration. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 15, 2006 | January 29, 1990 |
| First generic approved | August 21, 2019 | July 29, 2004 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 27 labelers | 41 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $2.03 per tablet (Posaconazole DR 100 mg tablet) | $0.380 per tablet (Fluconazole 200 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -46% | -10% |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 18 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 16,154 | 69,671 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to posaconazole
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions